Comments

*The following comments do not necessarily reflect the views of Revive Our Hearts. We reserve the right to remove comments which might be unhelpful, unsuitable, or inappropriate.

1. What a precious Mom! What a great God!!!
   
   posted by Leslie
   on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 2:57 pm
2. It is so good when God will speak to our hearts and we accept what he has to say to us.
   
   God will truely bless Kari for willingness and obediance to him.
   
   Her children will grow up one day and call her blessed.
   
   posted by Tina Sitz
   on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 3:01 pm
3. My husband & I also gave our family size to the Lord after our 1st child & we also ended up with 7 (altho' not in 10 yrs!). I can totally sympathize b/c it is hard being a mom to so many little kids at the same time. They are needy & it can be exhausting & your marriage can suffer as a result of all that too. But my youngest is 7 himself now, & I am seeing the blessing that my children are now that they are older & taking a hold of the faith for themselves. I love teenagers (I have 4, almost) & I love little kids too, but I never really liked kids before I had my own. God caused me to start sacrificing myself by giving me lots of kids & it has been a good, life-changing process...which still continues on!
   
   posted by LeeAnn Cheeley
   on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 3:01 pm
4. What a blessing! It's not always pretty when God reveals hidden things in our lives. But with it comes so much freedom!
   
   posted by Carrie
   on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 4:52 pm
5. I can empathize with Kari, too. We have given up "control" of our family size too. God has given us six blessings and counting. I resented God and my husband for several years. I resented the loss of my desires and plans. I resented not being able to pick and go to Target whenever I wanted!! It's been a journey to agree with God that every child is a reward and a life to cherish. Many of our friends are not able to conceive. How can I compare a child with the freedom to go to a store?! It's amazing how ultra-feminist, anti-Biblical philosphies have subtly influenced my thinking and our culture.
   
   posted by Momma6
   on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 5:21 pm
6. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing! :)
   
   posted by Esther-Elaine
   on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 7:11 pm
7. Kari's testimony demonstrates her love for the Lord and her transparency. Her honesty touches my heart. It is hard to be a mom. Our culture does not recognize the sacrificial life of a mom. But according to God's word, the opportunity to be a mother is a blessing. Throughout the difficult years of parenting I have been drawn closer to the Lord God. I have become aware of God working in my life and in the lives of my children. Being a mom is a great blessing.
   
   www.carolvanderwoude.authorweblog.com
   posted by Carol Van Der Woude
   on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 8:38 pm
8. Thank you for sharing this. I only have four children, but I went through the same thing.... focusing on what having all these young children has 'deprived' me of, rather than on the GIFT that they really are. My oldest is 12 and youngest is 4 and I am finally LOVING being a mom.... just sad it took me this long.
   
   www.choosingsimplicity.blogspot.com
   posted by Heather
   on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 9:02 pm
9. I remember standing in line at the True Woman conference to give this video testimony of what the Lord had laid bare in my heart. I was totally humiliated to realize the ugly selfishness within me, but I knew that if I felt this way, surely other women did, too. It's just that no one was saying anything.
   
   The year since then has been transforming in my family. As Heather said, I'm finally LOVING being a mom! The Lord has given me a real passion for reaching their hearts. He has shown me how to disciple them instead of just surviving them.
   
   I still have a long way to go before I'm the kind of mother my children deserve. But it is very encouraging to hear them say, "Mom, you're different now. It's so nice."
   
   I praise God for His work in my heart and know that He Who has begun a good work in me will be faithful to complete it!
   
   posted by Kari W., Lancaster OH
   on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 10:15 pm
10. Thanks soo much for sharing Kari...on the video and here now on the blog...it is good to hear the update of God's continuous work in your life. May He richly bless you to overflowing.
    
    I'm however on the other end of the spectrum...almost 40 not married and truly desirous to have children. Shortly after becoming a christian at the age of 17 and after understanding the significant and wonderful job of being a wife and mother, I looked forward to one day having what you now have...marriage and a big family - I wanted six children of my own (especially since I'm an only child). It hasn't happened yet and some days I get very discouraged but I know that God's will for me is always good and he brings me into contact with children in soo many precious ways.
    
    I truly admire the blessings he has given you in those seven children and am especially inspired with how he has revealed the treasure of the gift to you. Always remember how special YOU are TO HIM because he chose YOU to give these seven blessing to...there are many women who would love to have the family you now have and can't either because of singleness (like myself) or married but unable to conceive.
    
    Thanks again for sharing and being an inspiration to us all.
    
    posted by Sandy
    on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 12:15 am
11. Kari, thanks for your sweet spirit and transparent honesty as you shared a year ago what the Lord had revealed to you about loving your kids. What really thrills my heart though is reading the comment you wrote above and knowing that you are seeing Christ restoring your joy as you invest in your kids. You are a wise woman!! God bless, Holly
    
    posted by Holly Elliff
    on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 1:01 am
12. I'm a mother of eight children. I wish I could say I love being a mom, but the truth is, even after twenty-nine years of mothering it's still difficult to die to self, to see my own undesirable attitudes and actions reflected in my children, and most painful yet, to have some of my children not love the Lord who has become my dearest and closest Best Friend. It's hard.
    However, through the years, I've learned that my calling isn't about me. It's about choosing to finish the race Christ has set before me well, deciding to be joyful as I willingly serve Him, allowing Him to have His way in my life as he conforms me to His image, and my daily need to "lean hard" on Him in prayer as He continues to teach me how to fullfill this role called "mothering".
    He has been faithful to impart the support, love, strength, encouragement, wisdom, and guidance I've needed as I've run to Him, which has been many times a day.
    
    posted by Melodie Lacaze
    on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 7:11 am
13. Hi Kari,
    
    Your honesty is refreshing! Thank you so much for sharing. Surely the Lord will bless you and finish the work He has begun, as you said. I am so happy for you and your family.
    
    I had a similar number of children in a similar number of years (though I am older now). I can relate to Melodie's comment above. Kari, your testimony was touching, and also -- though short and sweet -- I found it deeply convicting and heart-searching. Though I always loved children (or thought I did!), I'm sure that I, like you, did not realize the deep roots of the feminist way of thinking that were influencing my mind. Like you said, I thought I had laid those things at the cross when I got saved. But truly, it is such a transformational process when we are saved -- how amazing grace truly is -- the more I walk with Christ, the more unworthy I realize I am (and the depth of my separation from Him before salvation). The more I see my need to be transformed! Your comments on the video caused me to think more deeply about why I may have felt overwhelmed at points when my children were younger, and how I failed at points as a mom. I think there was an underlying selfishness in my thinking; a feeling that I was weighted down with the many chores of being a mom of many; a lack of joy in the blessed service of it all.
    
    I think if we could truly see that the Lord really wants us to be "joyful mothers of children" and that -- as was the thinking in Bible times -- children are truly a gift from Him, and something to cherish and value greatly (and disciple, carefully, for Him!) -- just our mindset would set us well on the way to doing the work with the peace and joy that God meant for us to have!!
    
    I am going to ask the Lord for a fresh work of grace in this area of my life. I do now "love being a mom", now more than ever, but I too have a long way to come to really be what Jesus desires. I pray for myself and all the moms out there, that we would trust the Lord to do such a work in our hearts, to transform us completely out of the old, feminist ways of thinking, and into truly having the mind of Christ in this matter of mothering/discipling children (even single women in their relationships with children!) -- oh Lord, may it be so that we would please you and serve you well in this area!
    
    Thank you, Kari, for sharing, and thank you, ROH and Paula, for helping my thinking to be transformed!!
    
    In His love,
    
    posted by Leslie S.
    on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 8:56 am
14. Kari: Thanks for sharing. Interestingly, I am one of 7 children my mother had in a nine year period. Two of my siblings had Down Syndrome, and I've always wondered through the years (I'm much older now) how on earth my mom did it with so little to work with. She was one of the most self-sacrificing women I think I have ever known. The testimony to her life is that all of her children (the five of us still living) have grown up to love and honor the Lord and are also living out our lives for others to HIS honor and glory. Much of it is due to her example in our lives. The testimony of your children's lives will be worth it all when you see Jesus face to face.
    
    posted by Barbara
    on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 11:23 am
15. Hi Kari, thanx for sharing this with us I know how it has been hard for you, I was brought up in such situation, my mother had the same problem but thank God she went through it even if my dad was not there for her. Above everything be thankful to the almighty because there are some of us who long to be called 'mum' but they are not, they even long for someone who can dirtify the carpet but they dont have. Be happy n be glad in him, the children are a blessing from heaven n one day you will be more than proud when remember where you came from.
    
    posted by millicent onyango
    on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 7:33 am
16. My mother raised 7 children and we nearly drove her crazy. But, at the end of her life, there we all were by her bed calling her blessed. Though I know she must have wanted to run away many times when we were little, in the end, leaving us was the hardest part of going on the be with Jesus. So, in my mother's honor, I will quote her to all of you who are struggling with this difficult season of raising several little ones, "Honey, it won't last forever." And if she were still here, I believe she would also say, "it will be worth it."
    
    posted by Nan G
    on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 1:18 pm
17. My mom is in the hospital dying today. She has great reward waiting for her in heaven. She raised twelve children, the last six basically on her own as her husband became disabled. Neither my dad or my mom ever made a lot of money. They had some very rough times but they truly, sincerely kept the faith. I am grateful for them. She is dying a rich woman. She has so much more than an executive, actress or model. She is leaving much more as well. Her heritage will outlast any amount of money she could have earned. Souls saved will thank her in eternity for being a "just a mom" and a woman who chose to trust God with her life. I will be one of them.
    
    posted by Susan McCurdy
    on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 2:34 pm
18. It is encouraging hearing from Kari and the other moms who commented. I'm pregnant with my first child, and I hope to learn from these women's example of placing value on motherhood and their precious children.
    
    http://hoperoadblog.com
    posted by Anna
    on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 3:13 pm
19. Susan,
    
    I'm praying for you and your family. I lost my greatest prayer warrior in February when my mother went home to be with the Lord after a long battle with cancer.
    
    She was the one person I would call on those days when I was totally blowing it as a mom. She would pray for me and then call back a little while later to see how things were going.
    
    I can remember her saying, "Kari, someday there will be no fingerprints on the windows, the house will stay picked up, and the silence will be deafening." We all need cheerleaders like that in our lives.
    
    Praise God for your mom's spiritual investment in your life! I pray it will bless your family for generations to come.
    
    posted by Kari W.
    on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 3:45 pm
20. Kari,
    thank you for sharing this with me tonight. What a blessing you continue to be in my life my friend.
    
    posted by Christina
    on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 10:47 pm
21. Dear Susan,
    
    Tears came to my eyes as I read your post. Thank you for telling us about your amazing mother. I am praying for you, too,
    
    paula
    
    posted by Paula Hendricks
    on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 9:36 am